An international team of researchers has warned parents to limit their children's use of mobile phones, after studying the effects of the devices on health.

The team said 'the electromagnetic fields emitted by mobile phones should be considered a health risk'.

'What we found was astounding and much more concerning that what we had been led to believe,' the Scotsman quoted Dr David Servan-Schreiber, who led the team, as saying.

During the study, researchers found that significant levels of electromagnetic radiation from the phones did penetrate the human body, and argued that until more research was done the gadgets should be considered dangerous.

In particular, researchers found that children's brains were more susceptible to the radiation than those of adults, and suggested parents to ban younger children from using the phones regularly.